# Plugins

*For information on audio plugins, see* *VST and VSTi.*

## Overview

A plugin is a small piece of software that adds extra functionality to MuseScore Studio. A plugin needs to be enabled first, and then executed by using the Plugins menu. Some plugins come pre-installed, and are disabled by default. There are also plugins created and shared by other musicians, anyone can download and use them.

## Managing plugins

### Enabling and disabling plugins

1. Go to **Home -> Plugins** (or **Plugins -> Manage plugins...**).
2. Select a plugin and click **Enable** or **Disable**.

### Installing a new plugin

{% hint style="danger" %}
\*\*Warning\*\*: Plugins can potentially contain bad or malicious code, which compromise the machine and damage the scores. All plugins shared on musescore.org's plugin repository are \*\*unvetted\*\*. No warranty of any kind is provided. Users should download from a trusted author or double-check the code themselves. Seek advice on the \[Plugins forum]\(%1).
{% endhint %}

1. Search for available plugins at, for example:
   * musescore.org/plugins (musescore.org -> Download -> Plugins)
   * [GitHub topic 'musescore-plugin'](https://github.com/topics/musescore-plugin)
   * [GitHub topic 'musescore-plugins'](https://github.com/topics/musescore-plugins)
2. Make sure it is compatible with your version of MuseScore (3.x or 4.x).
3. Download the file:
   * For .qml files hosted on musescore.org, sometimes web browsers open it as plain text and refuses to download it as file. In that case, right-click on the link and select **Save link as...**
   * For github.com unpackaged code, download the project as a zip file by clicking **Code -> Download ZIP**.

     <figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e4ed62218ca5fc39761beecf9f22917ab9a03025%2Fms4p_githubzip.gif?alt=media" alt="Ms4p githubzip" width="350"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
   * For github.com packaged releases, click on an appropriate item under **Assets**.

     <figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-cda1c3a74edc47a836c04e198978dbf23c537836%2Fms4p_githubrelease.png?alt=media" alt="Ms4p githubrelease" width="383"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
4. If the download is a .zip file, extract it using archive extraction software.
5. Move the files to MuseScore's plugins folder, configurable in **Preferences -> Folders**. The default directories are:
   * **Windows:** `C:\Users\[Your User Name]\Documents\MuseScore4\Plugins\`
   * **macOS:** `~/Documents/MuseScore4/Plugins/`
   * **Linux:** `~/Documents/MuseScore4/Plugins/`

     <figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a46e0bf2a73d3e713865e73981015c99f7e8d5d7%2Fms4pluginfolder1.png?alt=media" alt="Ms4pluginfolder1" width="495"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

     <figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f68cfcb9a2f356aa910ec56798ac837c3d8de6ed%2Fms4pluginfolder2.png?alt=media" alt="Ms4pluginfolder2" width="507"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Updating an existing plugin

Updating works the same way as installing – just remember to remove the files from the previous version to avoid duplicate plugins.

## Running a plugin

1. Open a score (or go back to the **Score** tab).
2. Select **Plugins** in the menu and find and select the plugin name in the menu.

   <figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-675b0da893daeb01f498557b1cef62b60737d1d1%2Fms4p_run.gif?alt=media" alt="Ms4p run"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To assign a keyboard shortcut to a plugin:

1. Go to **Home -> Plugins** (or **Plugins -> Manage plugins...**).
2. Select a plugin.
3. Choose **Edit shortcut**.
4. Define a keyboard shortcut for the action that appears in the **Preferences** window.

## Pre-installed plugins

See the code for these plugins on Github.

* Add Courtesy Accidentals
* Colour Notes
* Lilypond Lyrics
* Mirror Intervals
* Modal Temperaments
* Modal Tuning
* New Retrograde
* Note Names
* Remove Courtesy Accidentals
* Tuning

## Create a plugin

Visit the Developers' Handbook Plugins for 3.x chapter for fundamentals, and the Plugins for 4.x chapter for info on the new parameters and porting a MuseScore 3 plugin to MuseScore Studio 4.


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